Georgetown Security Law Brief

UN welcomes new Libya electoral law

02/10/12: JURIST reports that the UN Support Mission in Libya on Thursday welcomed the new electoral law adopted by the National Transitional Council. The draft of the electoral law was finalized on Wednesday after the earlier version was revised to address criticisms of the public. The new law sets out procedures for the upcoming election to choose a national assembly. After elected, its responsibility will be to draft a new constitution for the country. The finalized law provides that 20 percent of the 200 seats (40 seats) will be reserved for women, double of what was proposed in the earlier version.

Leader says Somalia's al-Shabab joins al-Qaeda

02/10/12: The Miami Herald reports that the Somali militant group al-Shabab has formally joined al-Qaeda, according to a video translation released Thursday of a message from al-Qaeda's leader. Ayman al-Zawahri gave "glad tidings" that al-Shabab had joined al-Qaeda, according to the translation of the 15-minute video by the Site Intelligence group. "Today, I have glad tidings for the Muslim Ummah that will please the believers and disturb the disbelievers, which is the joining of the Shabaab al-Mujahideen Movement in Somalia to Qaedat al-Jihad, to support the jihadi unity against the Zio-Crusader campaign and their assistants amongst the treacherous agent rulers," he said.

Saudi King criticizes Syria vetoes in rare blunt speech

02/10/12: The New York Times reports that the king of Saudi Arabia inserted himself directly into the Syria crisis on Friday, castigating Russia and China for vetoing a UN Security Council resolution over the weekend aimed at ending the Syrian government’s deadly repression of a nearly year-old uprising. “We are going through scary days and unfortunately what happened at the United Nations is absolutely regrettable,” King Abdullah said in a short nationally televised address. The Saudi king rarely speaks so publicly and bluntly, and his remarks appeared to reflect new concern in Saudi Arabia about the deepening sectarian parameters of the conflict in Syria.

Israel successfully tests missile defense system

02/10/12: The Denver Post reports that Israel says it has successfully tested an upgraded radar for the Arrow missile defense system, developed with the United States and designed to intercept projectiles that might be fired at the Jewish state from Iran. Defense official Yair Ramati says the test was conducted on Friday in conjunction with the US Missile Defense Agency. He said a Blue Sparrow 2 missile was fired west to east from "deep within the Mediterranean" but he would not say how far from Israel it was fired or what sort of threat it was designed to simulate. A defense ministry statement says the Blue Sparrow was "representative of potential ballistic missile threats facing Israel."

Turkey and Iran diverge over Syria

02/10/12: The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Turkey and Iran, regional heavyweights and heirs to imperial pasts, expanded trade in the past decade and papered over their traditional rivalry with diplomacy and rhetoric. Now these neighbors have staked out opposing positions in Syria, where outside players seek to sway an outcome to the bloodshed that could, in turn, alter power balances in the Middle East. Iranian-Turkish tension could grow if regional efforts to end the violence intensify as expected after Russia and China vetoed a UN resolution calling for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Intelligence analysts lose valuable resource as al-Qaeda magazine goes quiet

02/10/12: The Washington Post reports that al-Qaeda’s glossy online magazine, Inspire, hasn’t been seen since its creators were killed in a US drone strikes last fall, but the terrorist group’s loyalists aren’t the only ones lamenting its demise. US intelligence analysts miss the publication, too, at least to the extent that it provided a window into the thinking of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, as the Yemen-based group is known. “It was something that helped us gain insight into the group,” said a US defense official involved in tracking AQAP, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Hacked e-mails reveal Syrian spin used to defend crackdown

02/09/12: CNN reports that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was apparently coached on how to describe his government's brutal crackdown on anti-government demonstrators just days before his appearance on an American network, according to purported e-mails of Syrian officials released by the hacking group known as Anonymous. The purported e-mails of dozens of Syrian officials as well as their account passwords were released Sunday by Anonymous hackers, who claim to have attacked the webmail server of the Ministry of Presidential Affairs.

State Department says Guantánamo lawyers can’t question Yemeni leader

02/09/12: The Miami Herald reports that Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is in the United States with full diplomatic immunity, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s legal advisor has written the Pentagon, and should not be compelled to provide sworn testimony for the Guantánamo war court. State Department Legal Advisor Harold Hongju Koh wrote the letter Monday to the Pentagon’s chief war crimes prosecutor, Army Brigadier General Mark Martins, opposing a request for a subpoena by lawyers for an alleged al Qaida bomber facing a tribunal at the US Navy base in southeast Cuba.

UN chief says joint Syria mission and envoy discussed

02/09/12: The Seattle Times reports that the head of the Arab League plans to send observers back into Syria and has raised the possibility of a joint mission with the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday. The UN chief's comments to reporters - after he briefed a closed UN Security Council session - came amid a search for new diplomatic approaches to deal with the protracted violence in Syria. Ban said he spoke Tuesday with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby, who "intends to send the Arab League observer mission back to Syria and ask for UN help."

Egyptian judges say NGO workers could face 5 years in prison

02/08/12: The Washington Post reports that investigative judges in Egypt said Wednesday that the Americans and Egyptians who have been charged in the government’s crackdown on US-funded pro-democracy groups could face up to five years in prison for working at unlicensed organizations. The remarks — the most extensive description of the government’s case against the pro-democracy workers to date — did not suggest that investigators had determined that the workers were engaged in nefarious or subversive activities. 

Top US military official heads to Egypt with relations on line

02/08/12: The Charlotte Observer reports that with $1.3 billion in annual US military aid and a three-decade relationship hanging in the balance, US officials said Tuesday that Army General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, would travel to Egypt to press for the criminal charges against at least 16 American nonprofit workers to be dropped. The visit later this week by the top US military official likely represents the strongest leverage the United States has in its effort to get Egypt's ruling generals to end a crackdown on American and Egyptian nonprofit groups. 

US not considering arming Syrian opposition

02/08/12: ABC News reports that the White House said on Tuesday that the US is not considering arming opposition groups in Syria, deflecting calls from some lawmakers to explore such a possibility as one way to quell the violence in Syria. However, US officials said no option would be completely ruled out as the Obama administration grapples for a way to end the bloodshed and facilitate a political transition. "We are not considering that step right now," White House spokesman Jay Carney said of the prospect of arming the rebels.

Russia says Assad still wants dialogue as shelling continues

02/07/12: The Washington Post reports that Russia’s top diplomat said Tuesday that a Syrian commission has prepared a new constitution, to be voted on in a referendum, and added that President Bashar al-Assad is ready for a “dialogue” with opposition groups after months of a harsh and bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters. Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov made the statements following discussions with Assad in the Syrian capital, even as France and Italy recalled their ambassadors for consultations over the worsening crisis and shelling continued for a fifth day in the restive city of Homs.

Egyptian military delegation said to cancel meetings with US lawmakers

02/07/12: Bloomberg News reports that an Egyptian military delegation visiting Washington canceled talks with US Senators because the group was called home amid a dispute over charges against American pro-democracy workers, according to Senate aides. The generals were scheduled to meet as soon as yesterday with Senators including Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat who heads the Senate Armed Services Committee, and John McCain of Arizona, the top Republican on the panel, according to two Senate aides familiar with the cancellation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to comment publicly.

Pentagon opens Tweet offensive in cyberspace

02/07/12: The Washington Times reports that the Pentagon on Monday launched a new campaign. The Defense Department (@DeptofDefense) held its first Twitter town hall, and the nearly hour-long session addressed questions from “don’t ask, don’t tell” to the Middle East to cyber security. “. . . important to discuss national security matters with American public, service members . . .” Pentagon press secretary George Little, or @PentagonPresSec, tweeted. On Syria, Mr. Little first tweeted: “@13monsters asks about Libya v. Syria. Each difficult situation, but approaches to dealing with crises must be case-by-case.”

Tensions rise as US Syrian embassy closes

02/06/12: The Washington Post reports that the State Department closed its embassy in Syria on Monday and pulled the remaining staff. The decision came after the Syrian government refused to address US security concerns amid the 10-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, State Department officials said. Ambassador Robert Ford and 16 other employees have left the country. The United States has shuttered embassies before, often under similarly dramatic circumstances. While some embassies later reopened, several countries remain without an US embassy today.

Libyan military court tries Gadhafi loyalists

02/06/12: The Miami Herald reports that a Libyan prosecutor says 40 suspects have appeared before a military tribunal in the country's first trial of Moammar Gadhafi loyalists since the dictator's overthrow. The proceedings that opened Sunday in a Benghazi military base have been adjourned until February 14. Benghazi-based prosecutor Mohammed Mathi said Monday that this is the first trial of Gadhafi loyalists. During Libya's uprising and eight-month civil war last year, Gadhafi's forces launched deadly attacks on cities, leaving thousands of people killed and injured.

Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah reach unity deal

02/06/12: CNN reports that rival Palestinian political factions Fatah and Hamas named President Mahmoud Abbas the head of an interim unity government during a televised signing ceremony Monday. The deal was signed in Doha, Qatar, by Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, who said last month he plans to step down from his post. "The Palestinian reconciliation is no longer a Palestinian interest but also an Arab interest," Abbas said. "Both parties are serious in moving forward to fold the page of strife between both parties and to strengthen the Palestinian national unity government," according to Meshaal.

Obama says US working to keep Israel from striking Iran

02/06/12: The Washington Times reports that President Obama said Sunday he is determined to work with Israel in “lock step” to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, and tried to allay concerns that Israel is preparing to carry out a unilateral military strike. “I don’t think that Israel has made a decision on what they need to do,” Mr. Obama said during an interview at the White House during NBC's Super Bowl pre-game show. “We are going to make sure that we work in lock step, as we proceed to try to solve this — hopefully, diplomatically.”

Official says terrorist link to drug cartels poses security threat

02/05/12: The Washington Times reports that collaboration between Latin American drug cartels and groups such as Iran's Quds Force and the Islamic terror group Hezbollah is growing “far faster than most policymakers in Washington, DC, choose to admit,” a former US intelligence official testified Tuesday. Michael A. Braun, former chief of operations and intelligence for the DEA, told lawmakers that the operational capability of such groups is being “strengthened by the close relations that they are working hard to develop with very powerful organized criminal organizations in our neighborhood and throughout Latin America.”

Libya's Saif Gadhafi could be tried within weeks

02/05/12: CNN reports that Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, the son of Libya's deposed leader Moammar Gadhafi, could go on trial "within weeks or months," the country's interior minister said Sunday. The investigations into the death of Moammar Gadhafi after his capture last year could also be completed soon, Fawzy Abdilal said. Saif al-Islam's case will be handed to the courts as soon as the prosecutor general completes his investigations, Abdilal told CNN in an exclusive interview. Once his father's heir apparent, Saif al-Islam was captured in November and has been held in the Libyan city of Zintan since then.

Human Rights Watch says Libyan ex-envoy dies after arrest

02/03/12: The Miami Herald reports that Human Rights Watch says that a Moammar Gadhafi-era diplomat appears to have died under torture after his arrest by a Libyan militia. The New York-based group said Friday that 62 year-old Omar Brebesh, who served as ambassador to France, died less than 24 hours after his arrest in Tripoli on January 19 by a militia from the western Libyan town of Zintan. The group says that photographs of Brebesh's body provided by the family show extensive bruising and other wounds. Rights workers say that abuses including torture, executions, and rape take place in makeshift prisons run by former rebels.

Top security and defense officials meet in Munich

02/03/12: The Boston Globe reports that the world's top security and defense officials are gathering in Munich, with uncertainty over the future of the Middle East and the implications of the financial crisis in Europe looming large. The Munich Security Conference begins Friday with officials from more than 70 countries expected to include US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. It comes as Western diplomats try to overcome Russian objections to a UN Security Council resolution aimed at halting the violence in Syria.

UN chief urges Israel to halt settlements

02/01/12: CBS News reports that UN chief Ban Ki-moon pressed Israel on Wednesday to do more to get flagging Mideast peace efforts back on track, calling for a halt in West Bank settlement construction and urging the Israelis to submit concrete proposals on the key issues of borders and security ties with a future Palestine. Ban is visiting Israel and the Palestinian areas on a mission to salvage the latest efforts to restart peace talks. A month of low-level discussions between Israel and the Palestinians ended last week without any breakthroughs, and it remains unclear whether they will resume the dialogue.

Iran and Syria aided bomb and assassination plot in Bahrain

02/01/12: ABC News reports that five men arrested in November in connection with a plot to blow up the only bridge connecting the island of Bahrain with Saudi Arabia and to assassinate Bahraini politicians are allegedly tied to Iran's Revolutionary Guard and reportedly received military training in Syria, according to information leaked to the media by Bahraini prosecutors. The charges are the latest salvo in a regional struggle for power between Iran and the Arab Gulf states.

Alleged bomber's lawyer wants to question Yemeni President

02/01/12: The Miami Herald reports that Guantánamo defense lawyers for an alleged al Qaida bomber asked an Army judge on Tuesday to order Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to undergo war court questioning at a New York hospital. Navy Lieutenant Commander Stephen Reyes wouldn’t say what he wants to ask the former Yemeni strongman on behalf of Abd al Rahim al Nashiri, who faces a death penalty trial at Guantánamo next year. He did said he believed the chief military commissions judge could issue a subpoena that “would compel the Yemeni president to be deposed” — despite a US State Department declaration that the 69-year-old Yemeni would receive diplomatic immunity as head of state.

Opinion: Drones for human rights?

01/31/12: The New York Times features an opinion piece by Andrew Stobo Sniderman and Mark Hanis, in which the authors contend drones are not just for firing missiles in Pakistan. In Iraq, the State Department is using them to watch for threats to Americans. Snider and Hanis believe it’s time we used the revolution in military affairs to serve human rights advocacy.  With drones, they say, we could take clear pictures and videos of human rights abuses, and we could start with Syria.

Syria says terrorists blew up gas pipeline

01/30/12: CBC News reports that an "armed terrorist group" in Syria blew up a gas pipeline at dawn Monday, the state-run media said, as activists reported gunfire and explosions in the suburbs of Damascus. The pipeline carries gas from the central province of Homs to an area near the border with Lebanon. SANA news agency reported that the blast happened in Tal Hosh, which is about eight kilometres from Talkalakh, along the border with Lebanon. There have been several pipeline attacks since the Syrian uprising began in mid-March, but it is not clear who is behind them.

Israeli and Palestinian peace talks flounder

01/29/12: The Boston Globe reports that Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Sunday blamed each other for the impasse in newly launched peace efforts, raising doubts about whether the dialogue would continue just weeks after it began. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of spoiling the low-level talks, saying it failed to present detailed proposals for borders and security requested by international mediators. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Palestinians "refused to even discuss" Israeli security needs.

Egypt bans travel for US official’s son, 9 others, amid crackdown on human rights groups

01/27/12: The Washington Times reports that Egypt is preventing at least 10 Americans and Europeans from leaving the country, including the son of US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, raising tensions with Washington over a campaign by Egypt's military against groups promoting democracy and human rights. The United States warned Thursday that the campaign raised concerns about Egypt’s transition to democracy and could jeopardize American aid that Egypt’s battered economy needs badly after a year of unrest.

Mubarak’s lawyer contends US and Israel plotted shooting of protesters

01/26/12: The Centre Daily Times reports that the United States and Israel plotted the killing of Egyptian protesters during last year's 18-day uprising that toppled longtime leader Hosni Mubarak, a lawyer for his former interior minister claimed Thursday. Lawyer Mohammed el-Gendi also accused security guards at the American University in Cairo of opening fire on protesters. The university's historical main building borders Tahrir Square, which was the focus of the anti-Mubarak revolt.

Israelis arrest two Hamas officials at Jerusalem’s Red Cross office

01/23/12: The Los Angeles Times reports that Israeli police on Monday arrested two Hamas officials who had been holed up in the Red Cross office in Jerusalem for the last 18 months. About two dozen police officers jumped over the back wall of the building and grabbed the two officials without any resistance, authorities said. The two officials -– Muhammad Totah, a member of the Palestinian Authority parliament, and Khaled abu Arafeh, a former Cabinet minister -– took refuge at the Red Cross building after it became evident that Israel was going to expel them from Jerusalem, their place of residence, to the West Bank.

Political leader of Hamas does not plan to seek re-election

01/22/12: The New York Times reports that the Palestinian militant group Hamas announced Saturday that its political leader, Khaled Meshal, would not seek re-election, opening the door to a possible leadership contest and adding to the uncertainty enveloping Hamas at a time of regional turmoil. Mr. Meshal, who has led the group’s political bureau since 1996 and is the face of Hamas’s leadership, told the Shura Council, the group’s highest decision-making authority, that he preferred not to run in elections scheduled in the coming months.

Yemeni President Saleh granted immunity

01/21/12: CNN reports that Yemen's parliament approved a controversial law Saturday that ensures President Ali Abdullah Saleh complete immunity from prosecution. The law was delayed for weeks as Saleh insisted on specific changes guaranteeing his aides partial protection from legal actions. In return, Saleh will step down from power in Yemen next month after ruling the country for more than 33 years. Yemeni Information Minister Ali al-Amrani said the law was the best option for the country and that people can now look forward for change and development.

AQAP carries on after al-Awlaki

01/18/12: CNN reports that the September 2011 US drone killing of American-born Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki has not had a big impact operationally on Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, according to former CIA chief John McLaughlin. McLaughlin, speaking during a Washington panel discussion, said AQAP now controls, or exercises influence in, about half of Yemen. "I don't think it had a big impact on them operationally," he said. "It's had an impact in the sense that he was their principal spokesman to an English audience. Their leadership is still there."

Saudi Arabia doubts Iran oil blockade claim

01/16/12: Reuters reports that Saudi Arabia on Monday expressed doubts over Iran's claim it could block the main oil shipping route out of the Gulf and made clear it was ready to pump more oil after sanctions threatened to cut Iranian sales of crude. Brent crude rose above $111 on concerns about global oil supplies if sanctions freeze OPEC's second biggest producer out of the market or push it towards military conflict, while Saudi Arabia said it would work to stabilize the price at $100. Israel, which has often said it could strike Iran to stop it developing nuclear weapons, called for tough new sanctions against Tehran.

New cyber attack hits Israeli stock exchange and airline

01/16/12: BBC News reports that the websites of Israel's national airline, El Al, and the Tel Aviv stock exchange have been disrupted just hours after they were reportedly threatened by a Saudi computer hacker. Flights and trading on the stock exchange have not been affected. There has been a series of hacking attacks affecting Israeli businesses in the past two weeks. The most serious saw details of tens of thousands of Israeli credit cards posted online.

UN chief urges Hezbollah disarmament

01/14/12: The San Jose Mercury News reports that the UN Secretary General says he is "deeply concerned" about the military capacity of the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group and lack of progress in its disarmament. Ban Ki-moon says the presence of any weapons outside Lebanese state authority is "not acceptable." The UN chief was speaking at a press conference in Beirut where he arrived Friday. He urged Lebanese officials to resume a national dialogue to discuss the Iranian-backed group's weapons that are outside government control.

Kuwait and US disagree over Guantanamo inmates

01/13/12: The Wall Street Journal reports that the Kuwaiti government is intensifying efforts to seek the transfer of two Kuwaitis who remain at the US detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a prospect that has grown dim as the facility turned 10 years old Wednesday amid continued political battles over its operation. In recent months, Kuwaiti officials have pressed the US to transfer Fawzi al-Odah and Fayiz al-Kandari to Kuwait, where they would continue to be detained at a US military facility but in proximity to family members, said people familiar with the discussions. HT to Neal R. Sonnett.

Cyprus says detained Russian ship didn’t violate Syria arms embargo

01/11/12: Bloomberg News reports that a Russian-owned ship carrying munitions, which was detained by Cyprus authorities yesterday while en route to Syria, didn’t violate the European Union’s arms embargo against Syria, Cyprus’s foregin ministry said. Westberg Ltd., the ship’s St. Petersburg-based owner, decided to change its destination, after which it was allowed to put into Limassol for refueling. It was permitted to keep its cargo, government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said earlier.

Sudan president on first visit to post-Gadhafi Libya

01/07/12: The San Francisco Examiner reports that Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir is in Tripoli on his first visit since the fall of Moammar Gadhafi, in a bid to restore relations which soured in the last years of the Libyan dictator. Airport sources said al-Bashir arrived Saturday with a high-level delegation for a two-day visit. Khartoum had accused Gadhafi of supporting Sudanese rebels in the western region of Darfur. In return, al-Bashir openly said he supported Libyan rebels in their 2011 uprising, providing them with weapons and money.

Syria says at least 11 killed in Damascus blast

01/06/12: The Miami Herald reports that an explosion ripped through a busy intersection in the Syrian capital Friday, hitting a police bus and killing at least 11 people and possibly many more in an attack that left pools of blood in the streets and marked the second deadly attack in the capital in as many weeks. Interior Minister Mohammed Shaar blamed a suicide bomber for the blast, which comes exactly two weeks after twin bombings in the capital killed 44 people. The bombings mark a dramatic escalation of bloodshed as Arab League observers tour the country to investigate President Bashar Assad's bloody crackdown on a 10-month-old popular revolt.

US adds Al Qaeda Kurdish Battalions to list of terror groups

01/05/12: The Long War Journal reports that today under Executive Order 13224, the US State Department added al Qaeda Kurdish Battalions (AQKB) to the list of specially designated global terrorist entities. The designation allows the US to freeze any assets owned by AQKB and prohibits others from engaging in financial transactions with the terror group. Al Qaeda Kurdish Battalions was "established in 2007 from the remnants of other Kurdish terrorist organizations," and "has sworn allegiance publicly to other terrorist groups, including al Qaeda and al Qaeda in Iraq," according to the State Department's press release.

Jordan upholds sentence for Al-Qaeda mentor

01/04/12: The Daily Star reports that Jordan's state security court has upheld a five-year prison sentence for a militant known as the mentor of slain Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The Palestinian-born Isam Mohammad Taher al-Barqawi, better known as Sheik Abu Mohammad al-Maqdisi, was sentenced last July for "plotting terrorism" and recruiting militants in Jordan to join the Afghan Taliban. He was tried in a military court with three other Jordanian Palestinians. Maqdisi's lawyers had appealed the sentence but their motion was rejected.

Group threatens lawsuit over terror tweets

01/02/12: Wired reports that an Israeli legal advocacy group Shurat HaDin has threatened Twitter with a lawsuit if it didn’t remove the accounts of US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations such as the Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Somalia’s al-Qaida-linked al-Shabaab. Though a legal tussle may give the folks at Twitter a headache, the terrorists behind the Twitter accounts probably aren’t sweating a potential shutdown. The lawsuit threat is based on a Supreme Court case, Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project, which upheld a controversial portion of the Patriot Act banning support to terrorists.

US, Saudi Arabia strike $30 billion arms deal

12/29/11: The Washington Post reports that the Obama administration on Thursday announced an arms deal with Saudi Arabia valued at nearly $30 billion, an agreement that will send 84 F-15 fighter jets and assorted weaponry to the kingdom. The administration notified Congress last year of its intent to sell the advanced jets to Saudi Arabia, a key US ally in the Middle East and a strategic bulwark against Iran. The final agreement — which also includes the modernization of 70 existing aircraft as well as munitions, spare parts, training and maintenance — comes at a time of increased tensions in the Persian Gulf.

Saudi women to run and vote without male approval

12/28/11: The Miami Herald reports that a Saudi official says for the first time, women in the conservative kingdom will not need a male guardian's approval to run or vote in municipal elections in 2015. Shura Council member Fahad al-Anzi says that approval for women has already come from the Saudi king. The country's Shura Council is an all-male consultative body with no legislative powers. The state-run al-Watan newspaper announced the change Wednesday. Even so, women in Saudi Arabia cannot travel, work, study abroad, marry, get divorced or gain admittance to a public hospital without permission from a male guardian.

Israel cancels $141m defense deal with Turkey

12/22/11: The Washington Post reports that Israel has canceled a $141 million defense deal with Turkey, a reflection of the steep deterioration in relations between the former allies. Israeli officials said Thursday they are concerned that Turkey could deliver the state-of-the-art airborne intelligence units to third parties hostile to Israel. They said the deal was signed in 2008. Officials in Israel’s Defense Ministry and Elbit Systems, the manufacturer of the system, confirmed the deal was called off. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the diplomatic sensitivity of the matter. 

Yemen kills brother of country's Al-Qaeda leader

12/22/11: ABC News reports that Yemeni security and military officials say a brother of Yemen's al-Qaeda leader was among five people killed in the latest of a series of battles raging for days in the south of the country. A member of a local tribe confirmed that Abdel-Rahman al-Wahishi was killed. He is a younger brother of Nasser al-Wahishi, a Yemeni who once served as Osama bin Laden's personal aide in Afghanistan and now leads al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The group was behind several nearly successful attempts to attack US targets and Washington believes it is the most dangerous of al-Qaeda's offshoots.

Qaddafi's son is still alive but that's about all that's certain

12/21/11: The Atlantic Wire reports that Muammar Qaddafi's son and heir apparent, Saif al-Islam el-Qaddafi, is alive and in the custody of a Libyan rebel militia, but while he's physically well, his situation and his future are as uncertain as the status of Libya's own government. Qaddafi, who hasn't been heard from since he was captured on November 19, told Human Rights Watch that he hadn't been given access to a lawyer nor had he been allowed to see his family as he awaited a trial on crimes against humanity. "No date has been set for his trial, nor is it clear whether he will be tried in Libya, whose justice system is in disarray, or by the ICC in The Hague.